View clinical trials related to Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Filter by:Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the functioning and development of social communication (DSM5 - 2013). ASD causes particularities in sensory treatments (auditory, visual), qualified as uni-modal. Added to this, there is difficulties to deal with prevailing stimuli of the environment (pluri-modal) ; parents report the discomfort of their child in this situation with "noisy" behavioral manifestations. Therapeutic social skills programs most often address the subject's lack of adjustment to their environment through understanding social rules and codes and cognitive treatment of situations. Thus, in order to relieve the sensory modulation disorders which can be the cause of social adjustment difficulties, it's propose to exercise the sensory habituation of children with ASD thanks to virtual reality scenarios restored in 3D immersion booth (the CAVE). The child will be exposed to multimodal stimulation during immersion sessions reproducing the conditions of an ecological environment. A therapist will accompany the child in the CAVE throughout the session. The investigators hypothesize that regular and repeated exposure to a simulated environment in the CAVE can improve multisensory treatment capacities and have a beneficial effect on the autonomy of children and adolescents with ASD in everyday situations.
This study aims to establish a cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) based virtual exposure (VR) exposure program to train ASD adults coping with everyday sensory scenarios. Through the practice and training, the ASD participants may learn the strategy to deal with the common sensory scenarios and master the anxiety around the exposure. The anticipatory anxiety and the maladaptive behaviors may be decreased along with the process of desensitization, while the functional impairment related to sensory sensitivity can partly be recovered.
According to World Health Organization, worldwide one in 160 children has an ASD. About around 25% to 30% of children are unable to use verbal language to communicate (non-verbal ASD) or are minimally verbal, i.e., use fewer than 10 words (mv-ASD). The ability to communicate is a crucial life skill, and difficulties with communication can have a range of negative consequences such as poorer quality of life and behavioural difficulties. Communication interventions generally aim to improve children's ability to communicate either through speech or by supplementing speech with other means (e.g., sign language, pictures, or AAC - Advanced Augmented Communication tools). Individuals with non- verbal ASD or mv-ASD often communicate with people through vocalizations that in some cases have a self-consistent phonetic association to concepts (e.g., "ba" to mean "bathroom") or are onomatopoeic expressions (e.g., "woof" to refer to a dog). In most cases vocalizations sound arbitrary; even if they vary in tone, pitch, and duration depending it is extremely difficult to interpret the intended message or the individual's emotional or physical state they would convey, creating a barrier between the persons with ASD and the rest of the world that originate stress and frustration. Only caregivers who have long term acquaintance with the subjects are able to decode such wordless sounds and assign them to unique meanings. This project aims at defining algorithms, methods, and technologies to identify the communicative intent of vocal expressions generated by children with mv-ASD, and to create tools that help people who are not familiar with the subjects to understand these individuals during spontaneous conversations.
The aim of this study is to test whether therapeutic drug monitoring of risperidone in children with autism spectrum disorder and comorbid behavioral problems is able to reduce metabolic side effect burden, while retaining clinical effectiveness.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common and complex neurodevelopmental disorder, which is characterized by impairments of social communication, social reciprocity, as well as restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB). The unclear pathogenesis of ASD, its increasing prevalence, and its poor clinical diagnosis and treatment effect have caused a serious economic and mental burden on patients and their families. As a new non-invasive neuroelectrophysiological technique, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been used more and more in the interventional treatment of autism. The current project aims to explore the influence of TMS on brain plasticity in autism by using TMS for interventional treatment of autism and provide guidelines for the intervention and treatment of autism by evaluating the efficiency of these methods.
Adolescents with ASD and intellectual disability (ID) are a complex and underserved population. Approximately 50% of individuals with ASD/ID experience significant anxiety. Yet, there are very limited mental health care interventions available for this population. Addressing anxiety and building coping skills is particularly important during adolescence as coping skills can support a successful transition to adulthood and family functioning during a difficult developmental period. The current investigators adapted a cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) manualized intervention, Facing Your Fears, for adolescents with ASD/ID (FYF:ASD/ID) and completed a pilot study with 23 teens. Preliminary results indicated significant improvements in anxiety and mood symptoms. The proposed study seeks to test whether FYF:ASD/ID is more effective in reducing anxiety than treatment-as-usual (TAU). The investigators propose a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) with 36 adolescents with ASD/ID (12-18 years) randomized to FYF: ASD/ID and 36 adolescents randomized to TAU for 14 weeks. The 36 teens randomized to TAU will then cross-over and complete FYF:ASD/ID. Evaluations will take place at Baseline, Post-Intervention, and 6-month follow-up. Teens in the TAU will have two baseline assessments prior to crossing over to FYF:ASD/ID; both groups will complete a 6-month follow-up assessment after finishing FYF:ASD/ID. There are three aims for this project: (1) examine the efficacy of FYF: ASD/ID relative to TAU in improving anxiety as measured by parent report and determine if any gains noted in the FYF:ASD/ID are maintained at 6-month follow-up; (2) examine secondary outcomes of anxiety such as how emotion regulation and problem behavior are affected by participation in FYF:ASD/ID; and (3) examine whether adolescents' independent use of CBT skills (as assessed by goal attainment ratings of prompting level required to use strategies) to manage anxiety are increased following participation in FYF:ASD/ID.
The study will be a randomized controlled trial, which will aim to establish the appropriate and feasible content of the planned motor intervention program. A sample of 30 young children with ASD (4 to 5 years old) will be randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Children in the treatment group will receive a 8-week motor skill intervention program. Children in the control group will receive a 8-week cognitive training program. Each week will be of 1.5-hour duration. Outcome measurements will consist of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Second Edition Brief Form and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Third Edition. A two-factor mixed design ANOVA will be conducted to compare pre- and post-tests differences in the treatment and control groups. The findings of the proposed study will be useful for occupational therapists and clinicians to assist caregivers in implementing the intervention program and will contribute to knowledge regarding the effects of motor intervention program on increasing the motor skills of young children with ASD in Taiwan. Practitioners can design a standard treatment manual and provide information for implementing the motor intervention program. The expected results will help clinicians apply empirical knowledge to provide and promote the health and development of young children with ASD.
The overall goal of this project is to determine whether a new form of family-based treatment for repetitive and inflexible behaviors, delivered using videoconferencing technology, can counter any negative effects of those behaviors, but also improve positive outcomes for young children with ASD.
Clinically, infants with Autism Spectrum Disorder often display gross motor delays in supine, prone, and sitting skills in their first year of life . Studies reveal that motor abnormalities in Autism Spectrum Disorder can occur very early in developmental trajectory.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a neurodevelopmental disorder. Their prevalence is estimated at around 0.4% of the general population worldwide. Their early onset and chronic nature make them a disabling disorder, all the more so as there is a high prevalence of sleep disorders in these populations, estimated at between 50 and 80%, with many complaints of insomnia in particular. These sleep disorders may result from biological, psychological, social, environmental and family factors. Smith Magenis Syndrome (SMS) is a complex disorder characterized by severe neurological, psychological and behavioral disorders including sleep-wake rhythm disorders. It is a rare disease with a prevalence of 1/25 000. These sleep disorders observed could be the consequence of a general dysregulation of the circadian system, since SMS patients show an inversion of the melatonin secretion profile (with a totally abnormal diurnal peak) and in patients with autism spectrum disorders, an overall reduction in melatonin secretion. These sleep-wake disturbances cycle could play a significant role in learning deficits and in the frequency and severity of behavioral abnormalities observed in SMS and ASD. In this project, investigators propose to study the mechanisms involved in the sleep-wake cycle disorders observed in Smith Magenis and Autism Spectrum children, in particular by evaluating the quality of the pupillary reflex using a pupillometer. The pupillary reflex is a simple and non-invasive method to test light sensitivity and the photobiological mechanisms involved. In this way, investigators want to evaluate the diurnal profile of the pupillary reflex in children with Smith Magenis syndrome and with Autism Spectrum Disorders in relation to the diurnal melatonin profile. Investigators will complete this study by determining the chronobiological profile of these patients by measuring different variables: - Diurnal cortisol and amylase profile - 24h body temperature and heart rate profile - Urinary cortisol and 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (major metabolite of melatonin) profiles - Daytime sleepiness profile measured subjectively by questionnaire and objectively via a waking EEG recording. - Actimetry at home - Polysomnography - A neurocognitive and behavioural assessment